Court Grants Sirika and Brother N200m Bail in N19.4bn Fraud Case

Justice Suleiman Belgore, of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, on Thursday, granted the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and his brother, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika, bail for N100 million Naira each and 2 sureties.

One of the sureties must own a landed property in the Federal Capital Territory, in like sum.

The court also held that the defendants are not to travel outside the shores of Nigeria without the permission of the court.

While delivering the ruling on the bail application, Justice Belgore held that “I see no reason to depart from the conditions granted by my learned brother”.

He then went ahead to grant them bail in the same condition as Justice Sylvanus Oriji, of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

Ruling on the motion on notice for the 1st defendant, Hadi Sirika, the court held that “The prosecution filed no counter affidavit.

“He is already on administrative bail, he met all the bail applications, he continues to abide with the bail conditions, he has never been convicted of any criminal offense in Nigeria, he is a recipient of National honors, he has an aged mother he is catering for and Investigation in the case has been completed.

“It is my resolution that this applicant deserves to be admitted to bail and I so do,” Justice Belgore declared.

Ruling on the motion on notice, brought under Sections 158, 156, and 135 of ACJA, where Sirika’s brother requested a sole relief, the trial judge granted him bail in the same terms and conditions as the 1st defendant.

The Sirika brothers, and Enginos Nigeria Limited, are facing a ten-count amended charge bordering on contract fraud to the tune of N19.4bn.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had accused Sirika of conferring undue advantage on his brother and his company, Enginos Nigeria Limited.

The contracts for which the sums were paid for, were also said to be undone with no trace of work done to date.

After the duo were docked, the EFCC had read out the charges to them, which they pled not guilty to.